U2, like many acts from "over the pond," have always held classic American rock & roll, country, soul, blues, and R&B in great regard, and this 27-track collection does little to dispel that notion. Heavily stocked with American icons like Johnny Cash ("Don't Take Your Guns to Town"), Muddy Waters ("Rollin' Stone"), Buddy Holly ("Not Fade Away"), and Billie Holiday ("Lover Man"), The Roots of U2 certainly doesn't skimp on the Plymouth rock. That said, the inclusion of classic cuts from the likes of Scottish folk legend Ewan MacColl ("Dirty Old Town"), Italian pop crooner Domenico Modugno ("Volare"), and the inimitable Jacques Brel ("Ne Me Quitte Pas") serve as helpful reminders that for every "Angel of Harlem" or "Desire" there was a "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and an "Unforgettable Fire." ~ James Christopher Monger
